students will work collaboratively in the groups of 4 or 5
students will remain on task throughout the duration of the mini project
students will investigate the maps and use observational skills to come to conclusions
ESS1 (9-11)
Trace the development of the theory of plate tectonics or provide supporting geologic/geographic evidence that supports the validity of the theory of plate tectonics.
B. Formal Assessment (not related to the informal assessment)
Learning goals...
students will gather and display information on the workings of the earth, moon, sun system
students will cite their information
students will investigate the phases of the moon and make connections with the workings of the Earth
ESS2
Students demonstrate an understanding of temporal or positional relationships between or among the Earth, sun, and moon and the stars
III. Assessments
A. Description of Informal Assessment
This assignment requires student to get into "expert groups", where each group is an "expert" on geochronology, geography, volcanology or seismology. Students observe maps that relay information on their expertise. The world maps use a key to show the amount, depth, or age of the displayed natural characteristics. Students spend time in their groups observing the maps to create their own pattern on a blank map. Using the information given, and without making too many conclusions, students start to find a pattern among the characteristics of the maps. After each person is an expert in one area, we then jigsaw. The new groups are made with one of each "expert". Their new maps are each presented to the individual groups. Each new group is assigned a different tectonic plate. Using information from each expert group, the students combine the information to create a key and pattern of their specific plate only. Because this is an investigational activity, without any formal prior knowledge on the plates, I am looking to see what knowledge the students can develop through observations and inferring data.
The formal assessment is a project to replace a formal test at the end of a brief unit. The assessment is a calendar project which presents most of the information we had learned/discussed on the Earth, moon, sun relationships. Students are given a rubric, clear instructions and models. Because of time constraints, students are asked to do a 6 month calendar. The are requires to display information on the "picture pages" on the following:
-moon phases
-eclipses
-tides
-equinoxes
-basic rotations/revolutions of the earth
Students are then asked to fill in important dates in science, and important dates in their lives in the calendar. Students are also required to find the dates of moon phases (1st quarter, half moon, full etc...) and include them in the calendar on the appropriate dates. Icons are required for each date, and the numbers of facts are shown in the rubric.
A. Description of Class Context- These two assignments come at different points, both in an accelerated Earth Science class. The informal assessment was done at the very beginning of a new unit on geology. The assignment was meant to get students thinking about the movements of the earth, and get them trying to make connections between different characteristics of the earth. After this activity we will go on to explain plate boundaries and faults and then relate them to earthquakes, volcanoes etc.... Thus I am assessing, informally, their prior knowledge and their ability to interpret data.
The formal assessment comes at the very end of a unit on astronomy. Students have been given information on the following...
solar system
each planet
how the earth was formed
how live began to inhabit earth
how the sun, moon and earth relate
rotations and revolutions (days/nights, years etc.)
eclipses, equinoxes, aphelion, perihelion...
The formal assessment requires students to use all this information to create a coherent project, at the end of the unit.
B. Analysis of Informal Assessment
The informal assessment was a good way to see how students interpret data. I also found that because of the abstract nature of the assignment, students were confused and easily frustrated by the tasks I was asking of them. Most students were able to analyze and understand the keys and information on the maps, however many of the students were not able to look beyond that and create their own pattern without copying the map directly. When observing the class, I noticed that many of them did have a prior knowledge of tectonic plates and were making the connections between the activities/characteristics of the maps, and the boundaries of the plates. Using this information I can build upon their knowledge and use more investigation activities. I also noticed some misconceptions about the workings of the earth when I was listening to the groups make inferences about the maps. This is valuable information and makes the activity worth while just for this bit of information. I will now be able to address these misconceptions and make sure the students have a good foundation of information before moving on to more information.
C. Analysis of Formal Assessment
The students did very well on this assignment. Even though students were able to use their notes or other resources, I could tell that many of them really understood the workings of the sun, moon and earth interactions. Only a few students did poorly on this assignment and mostly due to the fact that the projects were simply incomplete. Students followed the rubric and put a lot of effort into making the calendars. The project also required the students to find the moon phases on their own, and most of them were able to do this and make some connections with the rotations and revolutions of the earth.
V. Commentary / Reflection
A. Reflections from Informal Assessment
Like I had mentioned in the analysis, the abstract nature of the assignment did create some frustration for the students and myself. It is difficult to have the students interpret data in new ways rather than just accepting the given data. I still think that this is a valuable activity that allows the students to use their investigation skills and develop new ways in thinking about scientific data. The assignment allowed me to observe whether or not the students were ready to move on to more information pertaining to plate boundaries, or whether they needed further instruction. By assessing the students' prior knowledge and general understanding I was able to gauge the following lessons better.
B. Reflections from Formal Assessment
I was very impressed with the amount of work the students put into the assignments, however this does not necessarily tell me whether or not they can retain and recall this information. I can tell, by the way the students displayed the informaiton that most of them did have a good understanding of the content. Because students are able to use their notes and other resources, they may have only a short term understanding of the information, judging from the formal assessment alone. However I also believe it is an important skill to learn how to find and interpret and present scientific information, which they did very well.
VI. Conclusions
I found it very helpful to use informal assessment to gauge the effectiveness of my lessons, and the understanding of the students, as well as use formal assessments to gauge their final understanding and retention of the material. There are many ways to informally assess a students, and there are many reasons to informally assess a student. Some of my motives were to first, see how well I was presenting the activity and material. Second, see how well my students could interpret maps and keys. And third, determine the prior knowledge and/or misconceptions my students had, and thus cater my lessons to that. The next step for informal assessment will be to assess them a second time on basically the same material. This will tell me whether or not I have succeeded in addressing the students' needs and misconceptions. If I have found that they have not made progress, I would obviously need to take a new approach to getting through to the students. I have found that it may also be helpful to vary the way in which i informally assess my students. Sometimes it may be more useful to assess students individually, whereas sometimes it is more practical to assess the class as a whole.
In terms of the formal assessment, I found it to be useful in determining which students understood the material well enough to explain it without just regurgitating it back to me. As with informal assessments, there are many ways in which to formally assess students. I think that sometimes it is necessary to make the formal assessment "formal", such as a question and answer type of test. However I also think that a formal assessment should allow the students to demonstrate how they would apply the knowledge in real life. And in real life, as scientists we often have resources to look at, we then have to interpret the information and relay it to others, this formal assessment did just that.
Formal and Informal Assessment of Student Learning
Name: Haley Winsor
I. Assignment Description/Requirements
Formal Informal Assessments 2009
II. Description of Learning Goals
A. Informal Assessment
Learning Goals...ESS1 (9-11)
Trace the development of the theory of plate tectonics or provide supporting geologic/geographic evidence that supports the validity of the theory of plate tectonics.
B. Formal Assessment (not related to the informal assessment)
Learning goals...ESS2
Students demonstrate an understanding of temporal or positional relationships between or among the Earth, sun, and moon and the stars
III. Assessments
A. Description of Informal Assessment
This assignment requires student to get into "expert groups", where each group is an "expert" on geochronology, geography, volcanology or seismology. Students observe maps that relay information on their expertise. The world maps use a key to show the amount, depth, or age of the displayed natural characteristics. Students spend time in their groups observing the maps to create their own pattern on a blank map. Using the information given, and without making too many conclusions, students start to find a pattern among the characteristics of the maps. After each person is an expert in one area, we then jigsaw. The new groups are made with one of each "expert". Their new maps are each presented to the individual groups. Each new group is assigned a different tectonic plate. Using information from each expert group, the students combine the information to create a key and pattern of their specific plate only. Because this is an investigational activity, without any formal prior knowledge on the plates, I am looking to see what knowledge the students can develop through observations and inferring data.B. Description of Formal Assessment
The formal assessment is a project to replace a formal test at the end of a brief unit. The assessment is a calendar project which presents most of the information we had learned/discussed on the Earth, moon, sun relationships. Students are given a rubric, clear instructions and models. Because of time constraints, students are asked to do a 6 month calendar. The are requires to display information on the "picture pages" on the following:-moon phases
-eclipses
-tides
-equinoxes
-basic rotations/revolutions of the earth
Students are then asked to fill in important dates in science, and important dates in their lives in the calendar. Students are also required to find the dates of moon phases (1st quarter, half moon, full etc...) and include them in the calendar on the appropriate dates. Icons are required for each date, and the numbers of facts are shown in the rubric.
IV. Analysis
A. Description of Class Context- These two assignments come at different points, both in an accelerated Earth Science class. The informal assessment was done at the very beginning of a new unit on geology. The assignment was meant to get students thinking about the movements of the earth, and get them trying to make connections between different characteristics of the earth. After this activity we will go on to explain plate boundaries and faults and then relate them to earthquakes, volcanoes etc.... Thus I am assessing, informally, their prior knowledge and their ability to interpret data.
The formal assessment comes at the very end of a unit on astronomy. Students have been given information on the following...
- solar system
- each planet
- how the earth was formed
- how live began to inhabit earth
- how the sun, moon and earth relate
- rotations and revolutions (days/nights, years etc.)
- eclipses, equinoxes, aphelion, perihelion...
The formal assessment requires students to use all this information to create a coherent project, at the end of the unit.B. Analysis of Informal Assessment
The informal assessment was a good way to see how students interpret data. I also found that because of the abstract nature of the assignment, students were confused and easily frustrated by the tasks I was asking of them. Most students were able to analyze and understand the keys and information on the maps, however many of the students were not able to look beyond that and create their own pattern without copying the map directly. When observing the class, I noticed that many of them did have a prior knowledge of tectonic plates and were making the connections between the activities/characteristics of the maps, and the boundaries of the plates. Using this information I can build upon their knowledge and use more investigation activities. I also noticed some misconceptions about the workings of the earth when I was listening to the groups make inferences about the maps. This is valuable information and makes the activity worth while just for this bit of information. I will now be able to address these misconceptions and make sure the students have a good foundation of information before moving on to more information.C. Analysis of Formal Assessment
The students did very well on this assignment. Even though students were able to use their notes or other resources, I could tell that many of them really understood the workings of the sun, moon and earth interactions. Only a few students did poorly on this assignment and mostly due to the fact that the projects were simply incomplete. Students followed the rubric and put a lot of effort into making the calendars. The project also required the students to find the moon phases on their own, and most of them were able to do this and make some connections with the rotations and revolutions of the earth.V. Commentary / Reflection
A. Reflections from Informal Assessment
Like I had mentioned in the analysis, the abstract nature of the assignment did create some frustration for the students and myself. It is difficult to have the students interpret data in new ways rather than just accepting the given data. I still think that this is a valuable activity that allows the students to use their investigation skills and develop new ways in thinking about scientific data. The assignment allowed me to observe whether or not the students were ready to move on to more information pertaining to plate boundaries, or whether they needed further instruction. By assessing the students' prior knowledge and general understanding I was able to gauge the following lessons better.B. Reflections from Formal Assessment
I was very impressed with the amount of work the students put into the assignments, however this does not necessarily tell me whether or not they can retain and recall this information. I can tell, by the way the students displayed the informaiton that most of them did have a good understanding of the content. Because students are able to use their notes and other resources, they may have only a short term understanding of the information, judging from the formal assessment alone. However I also believe it is an important skill to learn how to find and interpret and present scientific information, which they did very well.VI. Conclusions
I found it very helpful to use informal assessment to gauge the effectiveness of my lessons, and the understanding of the students, as well as use formal assessments to gauge their final understanding and retention of the material. There are many ways to informally assess a students, and there are many reasons to informally assess a student. Some of my motives were to first, see how well I was presenting the activity and material. Second, see how well my students could interpret maps and keys. And third, determine the prior knowledge and/or misconceptions my students had, and thus cater my lessons to that. The next step for informal assessment will be to assess them a second time on basically the same material. This will tell me whether or not I have succeeded in addressing the students' needs and misconceptions. If I have found that they have not made progress, I would obviously need to take a new approach to getting through to the students. I have found that it may also be helpful to vary the way in which i informally assess my students. Sometimes it may be more useful to assess students individually, whereas sometimes it is more practical to assess the class as a whole.In terms of the formal assessment, I found it to be useful in determining which students understood the material well enough to explain it without just regurgitating it back to me. As with informal assessments, there are many ways in which to formally assess students. I think that sometimes it is necessary to make the formal assessment "formal", such as a question and answer type of test. However I also think that a formal assessment should allow the students to demonstrate how they would apply the knowledge in real life. And in real life, as scientists we often have resources to look at, we then have to interpret the information and relay it to others, this formal assessment did just that.
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